Information recorder

ABSTRACT

An information recorder is adapted for mounting on apparatus which vibrates during operation, and an oscillating member is pivotally mounted in said recorder for oscillating movement relative thereto in response to vibrations of the apparatus. A stop is provided in the recorder to limit the oscillating range of the oscillating member in one direction, and a manually operable member is rotatably mounted in said recorder for movement between selected positions in a plane substantially normal to that in which the oscillating member is movable. The manually operable member is provided with a plurality of off-set abutments for engagement with the oscillating member and predeterminately spaced from the stop in each selected position of the manually operable member to limit the oscillating range of the oscillating member in the direction opposite to the one direction. A marking member is connected with the oscillating member to record the movements thereof on an associated chart, and an electric solenoid is selectively energized to relieve a spring load on the oscillating member to effect the oscillating movement thereof.

United States Patent Rock Aug. 8, 1972 [54] INFORMATION RECORDER [57]ABSTRACT lnvemol'l William Rock, Caldwell, An .information recorder isadapted for mounting on [73] Assigneez Wagner Electric Corporation,apparatus which vibrates during operation, and an Newark, oscillatingmember is plvotally mounted in said recorder for oscillating movementrelative thereto in [22] Filed: Aug. 25, 1970 response to vibrations ofthe apparatus. A stop is pro- [21] APPL 66,807 vided in the recorder tolimit the oscillating range of the oscillating member in one direction,andv a I manually operable member is rotatably mounted in [52] US. CL.....346/7 said recorder for movement between selected posh [51] lift. Cl...G0ld 5/02 ions in a plane substantially normal to that in which [58]Field Of Search ..346/7, 62-64, l23 the oscillating member is movablcThe manually operable member is provided with a plurality of off-set[56] References cued abutments for engagement with the oscillatingUNITED STATES PATENTS member and predeterminately spaced from the stopin each selected position of the manually operable 1,078,867 1 H1913McGraw ..346/7 member to limit the oscillating range f the oscillating3,000,687 9/1961 i -P member in the direction opposite to the onedirection.

3'383696 5/l968 Flchter A marking member is connected with theoscillating g t ilmember to record the movements thereof on an ase mscrott et a.

Primary Examiner-Joseph W. Hartary Attorney-Joseph E. Papin sociatedchart, and an electric solenoid is selectively energized to relieve aspring load on the oscillating member to effect the oscillating movementthereof.

I 17 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Pmrimus" 81972 3.683399 INVENTOR BLLEA A.ROCK INFORMATION RECORDER This invention relates in general toinformation recorders for apparatus which vibrates during operation andin particular to a member for indicating the running and stoppingperiods for such apparatus.

SUMMARY In the past, information recorders or instruments were providedwith oscillating members responsive to the apparatus vibration forrecording running and stopping periods thereof, and manually operablemembers were also provided for engagement with the oscillating member topredeterminately limit the oscillating range of said oscillatingmembers, as shownin U.S. Pat. No. 2,743,987 issued May I, 1956, to K.Meer; however, one of the undesirable or disadvantageous features ofsuch past recorders was that the oscillating range of the oscillatingmember was limited by spaced stops or abutments on the instrumenthousing while the manually operable member was movable therebetweeneffecting a tolerance problem. Another disadvantageous or undesirablefeature of such past recorders was that the manually operable member wasmovable in the same or a parallel plane to that in which the oscillatingmember was movable which eflected variations in the range of oscillationof the oscillating member and ancillary variations in the heighth of thescribed line on the recorder chart.

The principle object of the present invention is to provide a novelrecorder which obviates the aforementioned disadvantageous orundesirable features, as well as others, and this and other objects andadvantageous features of the present invention will become apparenthereinafter.

Briefly, one aspect of the invention includes a recorder adapted formounting on vibrating apparatus having an oscillating member responsiveto the apparatus vibrations for recording the running and stoppingperiods thereof, said oscillating member being movable in an oscillatingrange between a stop on said recorder and a plurality of off-setsurfaces on a rotatable member manually movable to selected positions topredeterrninately limit the oscillating range, said rotatable memberbeing movable in a plane substantially normal to that in which saidoscillating member is movable. Another aspect of the invention includesa resilient member normally urging the oscillating member toward aninoperative position engaged with the recorder stop, and solenoid meansfor selective energization to overcome said resilient member and permitoscillating movement of the oscillating member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which illustrate embodimentsof the invention and wherein like numerals refer to like parts whereverthey occur:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a recorder device showing anembodiment of the present invention therein,

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 2 2 in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3- 3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS. 1 and2, an information instrument or recorder l is provided with an enclosingcasing or housing 2 adapted for mounting on an apparatus, such as avehicle or industrial machine or the like (not shown), which vibratesduring its operation. The housing 2 is provided with a plurality ofintegrally formed studs 3 which extend therefrom, and a support plate ormember 4 which is provided with a plurality of stud receiving apertures5, is fixedly mounted on said housing by a plurality of jam nuts orretainers 6 received on said studs in engagement with said supportplate.

As oscillating member, such as the pendulum arm 7, has one end pivotallyconnected by suitable means at 8 to the support plate 4 while the otherend thereof defines an abutment portion 9. A weight or disc 10 having aresilient peripheral portion 11 is fixedly connected by suitable means(not shown) with the arm 7 adjacent to the abutment portion 9 thereof,and said disc is normally engaged with an abutment or stop, such as theflange 12 integrally formed with the support plate 4 and extendingtherefrom. A driving connection or pivotal link 13 has one end pivotallyconnected at 14 with a flange 15 integrally formed with the arm 7adjacent to the midportion thereof, and the other end of said link ispivotally connected at 16 with a stylus or marking member 17. Themarking member 17 is pivotally connected at 18 with a depending flange19 integrally formed with the support plate 4, and a leaf spring 20which has one end connected with the marking member 17 provides theforce for urging a marker 21 on the other end thereof into markingengagement with a clock driven recorder chart 22. The recorder chart andtime driving or clock mechanismtherefor is well known in the art, andfor the sake of simplicity, a detailed illustration and descriptionthereof is omitted.

Another flange defining an abutment member 23 is integrally formed withthe arm 7 adjacent to its midportion, and a spring 24 connected betweenthe support plate 4 and an armature member or lever 25 of an electricsolenoid 26 nonnally urges said armature member into engagement withsaid abutment member biasing the arm 7 in a counter-clockwise directionabout its pivot 8 to normally engage the disc 10 with the support platestop 12, as previously mentioned. The solenoid 26 is fixedly connectedto another integrally formed support plate flange 28 by suitable means,such as the stud 29, and is provided with a pole piece 30 which isadapted for selective energization, such as for instance coincidentallywith the actuation of a vehicle ignition switch (not shown). The flange28 is provided with a depending portion 31 which is slotted at 32 topivotally receive a tongue or distal portion 33 of the armature member25 which extends therethrough. An aperture 34 is provided in thearmature member distal portion 33, and a displacement preventing memberor finger spring 35 has one end fixedly connected between the stud 29and the support plate flange 28 while the other end extends through theaperture 34 in engagement with said armature member distal portion toprevent the displacement thereof from the flange slot 32. Another spring36 is biased between the support plate flange 28 and the arm 7 urgingsaid arm in a clockwise direction about its pivot 8, but the compressiveforce of the spring 36 is normally overcome by the opposing compressiveforce of the spring 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, an oscillating range delimiting device,such as the manually operable stop or selection member indicatedgenerally at 37, is provided with fan or wedge shaped body 38 havingopposed side edges 39, 40 interconnected with a hub 41 at the lower endof said body, and an arcuate, axially extending rim or flange portion 42is provided in the upper end of said body between said opposed sideedges. A bore 43 having a flat surface 44 thereon is provided throughthe hub 41, and the interior end of a mating shaft 45 is received insaid bore being retained therein against displacement by a set pin 46provided in said hub. The shaft 45 is rotatably mounted in an aperture47 provided in a flange 48 integrally formed with the support plate 4,and an indicating or positioning knob 49 which extends exteriorly of thehousing 2 for manual rotation or operation is fixedly connected bysuitable means (not shown) to the other or exterior end of said shaft.The upper arcuate flange portion 42 of the body 38 is provided with aperipheral surface 50 having a plurality of position indicatingindentations or grooves 51 therein, and a position maintaining orleaftype spring 52 has one end fixedly connected with the support plate4 by suitable means, such as the retainer 53 and screw 54, while theother end thereof defines a detent 55 which is urged into releasablelocking engagement with the grooves 51 to maintain the selection member37 against undesirable rotation from its preselected position, asdiscussed hereinafter. The upper arcuate flange portion 42 of the body38 is also provided with a plurality of off-set abutment surfaces orstops 56 radially inwardly of the peripheral surface 50, whichrespectively correspond with the grooves 51 in the preselected positionsof the selection member 37, and the surfaces 56 are provided forengagement with the arm abutment portion 9 to predeterminately delimitthe oscillating movement or range thereof in any one of the preselectedpositions of the selection member 37, as discussed hereinafter. Itshould be noted that the selection member 37 is rotatable about itsshaft 45 in a plane which is substantially normal to the plane in whichthe oscillating arm 7 is movable and that the abutment surfaces 56 areeach rotatable into a position with respect to the arm abutment portion9 which transcends or over laps the oscillating range or path thereof.The support plate 4 defines an abutment for engagement with the sideedge 40 of the selection member body 38 to limit its rotative movementin its plane in one direction, and another flange 57 is provided on theflange 48 for engagement with the side edge 39 of said selection memberbody to limit its rotative movement in its plane in the other direction.

In the operation, the vehicle operator initially manually rotates theknob 49 and shaft 45 to turn the selection member 37 to a preselectedposition engaging one of the grooves 51 thereof with the detent 55 ofthe positioning spring 52, and in this manner, one of the abutmentsurfaces 56 is predeterminately positioned for engagement with the armabutment portion 9 wherein the oscillating range or path thereof islimited or defined between the engagement of the disc with the supportplate stop 12 and the engagement of the arm abutment portion 9 with thepreselected one surface 56 of said selection member. Of course, it isapparent that each of the surfaces 56 of the selection member 37 ispreselected or assigned to a particular vehicle driver for driveridentification purposes as determined from the chart markings, asdiscussed hereinafter. Upon the closure of the vehicle ignition switch(not shown) to start the vehicle, the pole piece 30 of the solenoid 26is energized, as previously mentioned, and the armature member 25 isthereby pivoted about the flange slot 32 upwardly against the spring 24force of the spring 36 moves the arm 7 upwardly or in a clockwisedirection about its pivot 8 to disengage the disc 10 from the supportmember stop 12 and move thearm abutment portion 9 into engagement withthe preselected one surface 56 of the selection member 37.

' When the vehicle is started and running, the vibrations established byroad shocks on the vehicle are transmitted to the recorder 1 to effectoscillating movement of the oscillating arm 7 about its pivot 8, i.e'.,rapid and repetitive engagement and disengagement of the disc 10 withsupport plate stop 12 and-of the'arm abutment portion 9 with thepreselected one surface 56 of the selection member 37. The driving link13 effects movement of the marking member 17 about its pivot 18coincidentally with the movement of the oscillating arm 7, and thepreselected oscillating rangeis scribed by the marker 21 of said markingmember on the moving chart 22.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the manual rotation of theselection member 37 into any one of its preselected positions engagingone of the grooves 51 with the positioning spring detent 55 moves acorresponding surface 56 thereof into an oscillating range delimitingposition for engagement with the abutment portion 9 of the oscillatingarm 7 to thereby predetermine the amplitude or range of the oscillatingarm 7 and selectively confine the oscillating movement of saidoscillating arm to different portions of said range. This predeterminedmovement or amplitude is then transmitted through the driving linkage 13to the marking member 17 and recorded by the marker 21 thereof on thechart 22. The height of the markings on the chart 22 which correspond tothe amplitude of the oscillating arm 7 between the stop 12 and thepreselected one surface 52 of the selection member 35 is measurable tolater identify the vehicle operator during the particular time ofvehicle operation.

From the foregoing, it is now apparent that a novel information recorder1 meeting the objects set out hereinbefore, as well as other objects andadvantageous features, is provided and that changes or modifications asto the precise configurations, shapes and details of the constructionset forth in the disclosure by way of illustration may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an information recorder comprising a casing for mounting onapparatus which vibrates during its operation, support means in saidcasing and connected therewith, oscillating means pivotally connectedwith said support means for oscillating movement rotative thereto inresponse to the apparatus vibrations, flange means on said support meansincluding a depending portion, and a slot in said depending portion,electric solenoid means mounted on said flange means and adapted forselective energization including a magnetizable pole piece, and armaturemeans pivotally mounted in said slot having opposed sides for magneticholding engagement with said pole piece and abutting engagement withsaid oscillating means, respectively, a pair of opposed stops on saidsupport means for engagement with said oscillating means to limit theoscillating movement of said oscillating means, spring means connectedbetween said support means and armature means normally urging one sideof said armature means into abutting engagement with said oscillatingmeans to maintain said oscillating means in engagement with one of saidstops, said armature means being movable against the force of saidspring means in response to the selective energization of said solenoidmeans to an energized position engaging the other side thereof inmagnetic holding engagement with said solenoid pole piece anddisengaging said one side from said oscillating means, other springmeans opposing said first named spring means connected between saidsupport means and said oscillating means, said other spring means urgingsaid oscillating means to a position disengaged from said one stop andinto engagement with the other of said stops when said armature means isin its energized position, and said oscillating means being thereaftermovable in its oscillating range between said one and other stops whenitis subjected to the vibrations of the apparatus, chart means mounted formovement in said casing to continuously receive markings thereon,marking means connected in marking engagement with said chart means andpivotally connected with said support means, and other means pivotallyconnected between said marking means and oscillating means to transmitthe movement of said oscillating means to said marking means wherein themarkings of said marking means on said chart means coincide with themovement of said oscillating means.

2. In an information recorder comprising a casing for mounting onapparatus which vibrates during operation, oscillating means pivotallymounted in said casing for oscillating movement within a predeterminedamplitude in response to apparatus vibration, selectively energizedelectric solenoid means mounted in said casing including a magnetizablepole piece, and armature means pivotally mounted in said casing formagnetic holding engagement with said pole piece and oscillatingmovement preventing engagement with said oscillating means, and a pairof opposed resilient means respectively engaged with said armature meansand said oscillating means, one of said resilient means being overcomeupon the displacement of said armature means from its oscillatingmovement preventing engagement with said oscillating means into magneticholding engagement with said pole piece in response to the selectiveenergization of said solenoid means and the other of said resilientmeans being thereafter effective to urge said oscillating means toward aposition permitting free oscillating movement thereof through itspredetermined amplitude in response to apparatus vibration.

3. In an information recorder comprising a casing for mounting onapparatus which vibrates during operation, oscillating means pivotallymounted in said casing for oscillating movement within a predeterminedrange in response to apparatus vibration, electric solenoid meansmounted in said casing and adapted for selective energization includinga magnetizable pole piece, and armature means pivotally mounted in saidcasing and movable between positions in magnetic holding engagement withsaid pole piece and in abutting engagement with said oscillating means,respectively, spring means engaged with said armature means and nonnallyurging it into abutting engagement with said oscillating means toprevent the oscillating movement thereof through its oscillating range,said armature means being movable against the force of said spring meanstoward its position in magnetic engagement with said pole piece anddisengaged from said oscillating means upon the selective energizationof said solenoid means, and other spring means engaged with saidoscillating means and opposed to said first named spring means, saidother spring means urging said oscillating means toward a positionpermitting free oscillating movement thereof through its predeterminedoscillating range in response to apparatus vibration when said solenoidmeans is energized to actuate said armature means and overcome the forceof said first spring means.

4. In an information recorder according to claim 3, comprising a pair ofopposed abutment means in said casing for respective engagement withsaid oscillating means and defining the predetermined range ofoscillating movement thereof, said oscillating means being urged intoengagement with one of said abutment means by the force of said firstnamed spring means when said armature means is in oscillating movementpreventing engagement with said oscillating means, and said other springmeans urging said oscillating means toward engagement with the other ofsaid abutment means and permitting free oscillating movement of saidoscillating means between said abutment means when said armature is inmagnetic holding engagement with said pole piece.

5. In an information recorder according to claim 4, wherein said otherabutment means includes manually operable means rotatably mounted insaid casing and selectively movable between preselected positions, and aplurality of off-set abutment surfaces on said manually operable meanseach predeterminately spaced from said one abutment means for engagementwith said oscillating means to confine the oscillating movement thereofto preselected portions of the oscillating range when said manuallyoperable means is in its preselected positions, respectively.

6. In an information recorder according to claim 5, comprising means insaid casing and engaged with said manually operable means to define theselected positions thereof.

7. In an information recorder according to claim 5, comprising aplurality of detent receiving portions on said manually operable meanscorresponding to the selected positions thereof, and detent meansresiliently urged toward said manually operable means for releasableengagement with said detent receiving portions, said manually operablemeans being rotatable toward a preselected position to releasably engageone of said detent receiving portions with said detent means.

8. In an information recorder according to claim 5, comprising a pair ofspaced opposed stops in said casing for respective abutting engagementwith said manually operable means to predeterrninately limit therotative movement thereof in said casing.

9. In an information recorder according to claim 5, wherein saidmanually operable means includes a member rotatable between itspreselected positions in a plane substantially normal to that in whichsaid oscillating means is movable, said abutment surfaces being on saidmember and being in the path of said oscillating means for engagementtherewith when said member is in its preselected positions,respectively, and shaft means rotatably mounted having an interior andin rotating driving engagement with said members and on opposed endexteriorly of said casing for receiving a manually applied rotativeforce.

10. In an information recorder according to claim 9, comprising aperipheral surface on said member in opposed relation with said abutmentsurfaces, a plurality of spaced grooves in said peripheral surfacerespectively defining the preselected positions of said member, andmeans for maintaining said member in its preselected positions includinga detent for releasable locking engagement with said groove means, andspring means connected with said detent and urging it toward releasablelocking engagement with said groove means, respectively.

11. In an information recorder according to claim 10, comprising a pairof opposed side edges on said member, a hub portion on said memberadjacent to one end thereof between said side edges and connected withthe interior end of said shaft, and an arcuate flange portion on theother end of said member radially spaced from said hub portion betweensaid side edges and extending toward said oscillating means, saidperipheral surface being on said flange portion and said abutmentsurfaces also being on said flange portion radially inwardly of saidperipheral surface and opposed thereto.

12. In an information recorder according to claim 11, comprising opposedspaced stops connected with said casing for respective abuttingengagement with said opposed side edges to predeterrninately limit therotatable movement of said member in response to the applied force onsaid shaft.

13. In an information recorder according to claim 3, comprising supportmeans in said casing and fixedly connected thereto including flangemeans having a depending portion, and slot means in said dependingportion, said solenoid means being mounted on said flange means, saidarmature means being pivotally mounted in said slot means, and opposedsides on said armature means for magnetic holding engagement with saidpole piece and abutting engagement with said oscillating means,respectively.

14. In an information recorder according to claim 13, comprisingaperture means in said armature means adjacent to said slot means, andmeans connected with said flange means and extending into said aperturemeans into engagement with said armature means to prevent displacementthereof from said slot means.

15. In an information recorder comprising a casing for mounting anapparatus which vibrates during operation, sheet means mounted for moveent in said casing to receive markings thereon, mar ing means pivotallymounted in said casing and in marking engagement with said sheet means,oscillating means pivotally mounted in said casing for oscillatingmovement within a predetermined oscillating range in response toapparatus vibration including a free end portion, a driving memberdirectly interconnected between said oscillating means and marking meansto effect concerted movement of said marking means with said oscillatingmeans, and means defining opposed side portions on said oscillatingmeans adjacent to said free end portion, stationary abutment means insaid casing for engagement with one of said opposed side portions tocontain the oscillating movement in one direction of said oscillatingmeans within the predetermined oscillating range, other means forengagement only with said oscillating means to contain the oscillatingmovement thereof in another direction opposite to the one directionwithin the predetermined oscillating range including shaft meansrotatably mounted in said casing having an interior end within saidcasing and an opposed end extending exteriorly of said casing forreceiving a manually applied rotative force thereon for selectiverotatable movement between preselected positions, a sector memberdrivingly connected with said opposed end of said shaft means forconcerted rotative movement therewith and rotatably mounted in saidcasing adjacent to said free end portion in a plane substantially normalto that in which said oscillating means is movable, and a plurality ofoff-set abutment surfaces on said sector member each beingpredeterrninately spaced from said stationary abutment means and atleast one of said abutment surfaces being in the path of saidoscillating means for engagement with the other of said opposed sideportions to contain the oscillating movement in the other direction ofsaid oscillating means within a preselected different portion of thepredetermined oscillating range when said shaft means and sector memberare in their preselected positions, respectively.

16. In an infonnation recorder according to claim 15, comprising aperipheral surface on said sector member, a plurality of spaced groovemeans in said peripheral surface respectively defining the preselectedpositions of said sector member, and means for maintaining said sectormember in its preselected positions including a detent, and spring meansconnected with said detent and urging said detent into releasablelocking engagement with said groove means, respectively.

17. In an information recorder according to claim 16, comprising a pairof opposed side edges on said sector member, a hub on said sector memberat one end thereof connected with said side edges, the interior end ofsaid shaft means being received in said hub, and an arcuate flangeportion on said sectormember at the other end thereof between said sideedges, said peripheral surface being on said flange portion and saidabutment surfaces also being on said flange portion radially inwardly ofsaid peripheral surface and opposed thereto.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,683,399 Issued August a, 1972 William A. Rock It is certified thaterror appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patentare hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line- 10, "As" should read An i I line 14, "and" should readend line 15, "members should read member same line, "on" should readSigned and sealed. this 8th 7 day of y 19 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD MQFLETCHER,JR- ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. In an information recorder comprising a casing for mounting onapparatus which vibrates during its operation, support means in saidcasing and connected therewith, oscillating means pivotally connectedwith said support means for oscillating movement rotative thereto inresponse to the apparatus vibrations, flange means on said support meansincluding a depending portion, and a slot in said depending portion,electric solenoid means mounted on said flange means and adapted forselective energization including a magnetizable pole piece, and armaturemeans pivotally mounted in said slot having opposed sides for magneticholding engagement with said pole piece and abutting engagement withsaid oscillating means, respectively, a pair of opposed stops on saidsupport means for engagement with said oscillating means to limit theoscillating movement of said oscillating means, spring means connectedbetween said support means and armature means normally urging one sideof said armature means into abutting engagement with said oscillatingmeans to maintain said oscillating means in engagement with one of saidstops, said armature means being movable against the force of saidspring means in response to the selective energization of said solenoidmeans to an energized position engaging the Other side thereof inmagnetic holding engagement with said solenoid pole piece anddisengaging said one side from said oscillating means, other springmeans opposing said first named spring means connected between saidsupport means and said oscillating means, said other spring means urgingsaid oscillating means to a position disengaged from said one stop andinto engagement with the other of said stops when said armature means isin its energized position, and said oscillating means being thereaftermovable in its oscillating range between said one and other stops whenit is subjected to the vibrations of the apparatus, chart means mountedfor movement in said casing to continuously receive markings thereon,marking means connected in marking engagement with said chart means andpivotally connected with said support means, and other means pivotallyconnected between said marking means and oscillating means to transmitthe movement of said oscillating means to said marking means wherein themarkings of said marking means on said chart means coincide with themovement of said oscillating means.
 2. In an information recordercomprising a casing for mounting on apparatus which vibrates duringoperation, oscillating means pivotally mounted in said casing foroscillating movement within a predetermined amplitude in response toapparatus vibration, selectively energized electric solenoid meansmounted in said casing including a magnetizable pole piece, and armaturemeans pivotally mounted in said casing for magnetic holding engagementwith said pole piece and oscillating movement preventing engagement withsaid oscillating means, and a pair of opposed resilient meansrespectively engaged with said armature means and said oscillatingmeans, one of said resilient means being overcome upon the displacementof said armature means from its oscillating movement preventingengagement with said oscillating means into magnetic holding engagementwith said pole piece in response to the selective energization of saidsolenoid means and the other of said resilient means being thereaftereffective to urge said oscillating means toward a position permittingfree oscillating movement thereof through its predetermined amplitude inresponse to apparatus vibration.
 3. In an information recordercomprising a casing for mounting on apparatus which vibrates duringoperation, oscillating means pivotally mounted in said casing foroscillating movement within a predetermined range in response toapparatus vibration, electric solenoid means mounted in said casing andadapted for selective energization including a magnetizable pole piece,and armature means pivotally mounted in said casing and movable betweenpositions in magnetic holding engagement with said pole piece and inabutting engagement with said oscillating means, respectively, springmeans engaged with said armature means and normally urging it intoabutting engagement with said oscillating means to prevent theoscillating movement thereof through its oscillating range, saidarmature means being movable against the force of said spring meanstoward its position in magnetic engagement with said pole piece anddisengaged from said oscillating means upon the selective energizationof said solenoid means, and other spring means engaged with saidoscillating means and opposed to said first named spring means, saidother spring means urging said oscillating means toward a positionpermitting free oscillating movement thereof through its predeterminedoscillating range in response to apparatus vibration when said solenoidmeans is energized to actuate said armature means and overcome the forceof said first spring means.
 4. In an information recorder according toclaim 3, comprising a pair of opposed abutment means in said casing forrespective engagement with said oscillating means and defining thepredetermined range of oscillating movement thereof, said oscillatingmeans being urged into engagement with one of said abutment means by theforce oF said first named spring means when said armature means is inoscillating movement preventing engagement with said oscillating means,and said other spring means urging said oscillating means towardengagement with the other of said abutment means and permitting freeoscillating movement of said oscillating means between said abutmentmeans when said armature is in magnetic holding engagement with saidpole piece.
 5. In an information recorder according to claim 4, whereinsaid other abutment means includes manually operable means rotatablymounted in said casing and selectively movable between preselectedpositions, and a plurality of off-set abutment surfaces on said manuallyoperable means each predeterminately spaced from said one abutment meansfor engagement with said oscillating means to confine the oscillatingmovement thereof to preselected portions of the oscillating range whensaid manually operable means is in its preselected positions,respectively.
 6. In an information recorder according to claim 5,comprising means in said casing and engaged with said manually operablemeans to define the selected positions thereof.
 7. In an informationrecorder according to claim 5, comprising a plurality of detentreceiving portions on said manually operable means corresponding to theselected positions thereof, and detent means resiliently urged towardsaid manually operable means for releasable engagement with said detentreceiving portions, said manually operable means being rotatable towarda preselected position to releasably engage one of said detent receivingportions with said detent means.
 8. In an information recorder accordingto claim 5, comprising a pair of spaced opposed stops in said casing forrespective abutting engagement with said manually operable means topredeterminately limit the rotative movement thereof in said casing. 9.In an information recorder according to claim 5, wherein said manuallyoperable means includes a member rotatable between its preselectedpositions in a plane substantially normal to that in which saidoscillating means is movable, said abutment surfaces being on saidmember and being in the path of said oscillating means for engagementtherewith when said member is in its preselected positions,respectively, and shaft means rotatably mounted having an interior andin rotating driving engagement with said members and on opposed endexteriorly of said casing for receiving a manually applied rotativeforce.
 10. In an information recorder according to claim 9, comprising aperipheral surface on said member in opposed relation with said abutmentsurfaces, a plurality of spaced grooves in said peripheral surfacerespectively defining the preselected positions of said member, andmeans for maintaining said member in its preselected positions includinga detent for releasable locking engagement with said groove means, andspring means connected with said detent and urging it toward releasablelocking engagement with said groove means, respectively.
 11. In aninformation recorder according to claim 10, comprising a pair of opposedside edges on said member, a hub portion on said member adjacent to oneend thereof between said side edges and connected with the interior endof said shaft, and an arcuate flange portion on the other end of saidmember radially spaced from said hub portion between said side edges andextending toward said oscillating means, said peripheral surface beingon said flange portion and said abutment surfaces also being on saidflange portion radially inwardly of said peripheral surface and opposedthereto.
 12. In an information recorder according to claim 11,comprising opposed spaced stops connected with said casing forrespective abutting engagement with said opposed side edges topredeterminately limit the rotatable movement of said member in responseto the applied force on said shaft.
 13. In an information recorderaccording to claim 3, comprising support means in said casing anDfixedly connected thereto including flange means having a dependingportion, and slot means in said depending portion, said solenoid meansbeing mounted on said flange means, said armature means being pivotallymounted in said slot means, and opposed sides on said armature means formagnetic holding engagement with said pole piece and abutting engagementwith said oscillating means, respectively.
 14. In an informationrecorder according to claim 13, comprising aperture means in saidarmature means adjacent to said slot means, and means connected withsaid flange means and extending into said aperture means into engagementwith said armature means to prevent displacement thereof from said slotmeans.
 15. In an information recorder comprising a casing for mountingan apparatus which vibrates during operation, sheet means mounted formovement in said casing to receive markings thereon, marking meanspivotally mounted in said casing and in marking engagement with saidsheet means, oscillating means pivotally mounted in said casing foroscillating movement within a predetermined oscillating range inresponse to apparatus vibration including a free end portion, a drivingmember directly interconnected between said oscillating means andmarking means to effect concerted movement of said marking means withsaid oscillating means, and means defining opposed side portions on saidoscillating means adjacent to said free end portion, stationary abutmentmeans in said casing for engagement with one of said opposed sideportions to contain the oscillating movement in one direction of saidoscillating means within the predetermined oscillating range, othermeans for engagement only with said oscillating means to contain theoscillating movement thereof in another direction opposite to the onedirection within the predetermined oscillating range including shaftmeans rotatably mounted in said casing having an interior end withinsaid casing and an opposed end extending exteriorly of said casing forreceiving a manually applied rotative force thereon for selectiverotatable movement between preselected positions, a sector memberdrivingly connected with said opposed end of said shaft means forconcerted rotative movement therewith and rotatably mounted in saidcasing adjacent to said free end portion in a plane substantially normalto that in which said oscillating means is movable, and a plurality ofoff-set abutment surfaces on said sector member each beingpredeterminately spaced from said stationary abutment means and at leastone of said abutment surfaces being in the path of said oscillatingmeans for engagement with the other of said opposed side portions tocontain the oscillating movement in the other direction of saidoscillating means within a preselected different portion of thepredetermined oscillating range when said shaft means and sector memberare in their preselected positions, respectively.
 16. In an informationrecorder according to claim 15, comprising a peripheral surface on saidsector member, a plurality of spaced groove means in said peripheralsurface respectively defining the preselected positions of said sectormember, and means for maintaining said sector member in its preselectedpositions including a detent, and spring means connected with saiddetent and urging said detent into releasable locking engagement withsaid groove means, respectively.
 17. In an information recorderaccording to claim 16, comprising a pair of opposed side edges on saidsector member, a hub on said sector member at one end thereof connectedwith said side edges, the interior end of said shaft means beingreceived in said hub, and an arcuate flange portion on said sectormember at the other end thereof between said side edges, said peripheralsurface being on said flange portion and said abutment surfaces alsobeing on said flange portion radially inwardly of said peripheralsurface and opposed thereto.